Edna Bates Loofbourrow was born in Fairfield, Iowa on Dec. 25, 1888, the oldest child of a sickly mother. She had a lot of responsibility in helping raise the five younger children.

She graduated with honors from Parsons College, Fairfield, Iowa.

Mother of three sons, she also kept her two youngest siblings during their high school years and helped raise Evelyn Jones in her high school years.

Edna was a faithful letter writer and, as years went by, she lived for the letters to arrive from her friends, relatives and missionaries from all over the world.

She wrote long, funny poems for every bridal shower, birthday, etc. and baked the best angel-food cakes in town. In later years she was noted for her exquisite needlework.

She died in Hollister on Dec. 24, 1973, the day before her 84th birthday.


Sources of information for Ben and Edna: US Census 1900; Cedar Twp., Van Buren, IA; newspaper articles of Harold's death, Ben and Edna's 50th Anniversary and their obituaries; personal and Christmas letters from Ben and Edna through the years; Edna's "famous" scrapbook where she kept track of all of us; information from author's mother, Eva ‏(Loofbourrow)‏ Hockaday, from memory; 2008-2009, Perry and Elizabeth ‏(Stifle)‏ Loofbourrow, have shared numerous photos for scanning into our Loofbourrow photo archives, as well as, family and biographical information.